


Running Out of Funds

by seri-kun (vanijane)



Series: Everything Red and Green [7]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Fanservice, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-02
Updated: 2014-02-02
Packaged: 2018-01-10 22:39:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1165416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vanijane/pseuds/seri-kun
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Green is having a huge problem: they were behind their funds, the bills were racking up, his trainers gave up their food allowance (behind his back) to help pay for the bills and there weren't any challengers! Then there's also Red who came down whenever he pleased begging for food.</p><p>He's forced to take any means, drastic or no, necessary to keep his trainers, Red and the gym alive.</p><p> </p><p>  <i>“Salma suggested that you give a kiss—”</i><br/><i>“Hell no.”</i><br/><i>“—Ida said you could battle shirtless—”</i><br/><i>“What?”</i><br/><i>“Or you could just go without clothes at all, she said.”</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Running Out of Funds

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written May 23, 2010

“Green, we have a big problem.” Bonita frowned as he entered his leader’s office.

Though wanting a break from all the paperwork, the Viridian City gym leader didn’t want Bonita to be the cause of it knowing that all Bonita had to say to him aside from alerting him of a gym battle was about this problem or that. They were already behind the budget and Green was still trying to balance everything out, he didn’t need Bonita breathing down his neck about other things right now.

“What is it?” Green asked with a sharp sigh, he couldn’t ignore Bonita because then the guy would only be even more annoying.

“No one’s coming to challenge the gym anymore. I mean, there’s the reckless munchkins but they can only pay up 200 pokédollars, it’s not enough to even pay the electric bill for the trap tiles.” Bonita explained tiredly, as if he’d tried everything in his power to gather more challengers to the gym. “We did try. We even had Salma stand outside with her slowking, we only managed to gather kids who wanted to pet ‘Her Royal Highness Queen Slowly’.”

“Who?” He spat out before another thought at the absurd nickname.

“…it’s the slowking’s name.” There a was a long pause of silence in the room as Green let the information sink in and force himself to not care about the weird habits of his trainers.

“I thought we should do some gimmick to bring more challengers in.” Bonita continued after a while, “Arabella and I thought the girls could battle in swimsuits! ‘Cause you know, you don’t really see that much here in Viridian since we don’t have a beach close by.”

Green stared at his second-in-command expecting him to be joking but when Bonita’s grin didn’t drop, the older brunette let out a suffering sigh. He forced himself to remain calm and reason that his trainers were just getting crazy from the lack of funds.

“Bonita, no.” He said with a tone of finality.

Bonita had the gall to look sad but he quickly schooled his features and began with his next proposal, “Salma suggested that you give a kiss—”

“Hell no.”

“—Ida said you could battle shirtless—”

“What?”

“Or you could just go without clothes at all, she said.”

“I can cut costs by firing you guys.”

Bonita’s mouth hung wide open at the _absurd_ suggestion or probably threat. Did Green not realize how hard employment was for ace trainers?! No one challenged them because they were too strong and other gyms didn’t like them because they usually didn’t have a specialty. Green was the beacon of light and hope for their kind and now, he was going to fire them?!

“I’d like to see you battling without clothes.” A new voice came and both trainers turned their heads towards the door, finding the league champion standing there with a small smirk and Pikachu perched on his head.

“R-Red!” Bonita gasped because despite the years he’d worked for Green, he still hadn’t gotten used to the strongest trainer in the region suddenly popping up at the gym.

Rather than smile at his long-time rival, Green scowled as if annoyed at his presence. “What are you doing here, Red?”

The red-eyed trainer shrugged, “I was hungry.”

The gym leader let out a hiss of breath. Of course, part of the gym’s funds went to Red’s seemingly bottomless pit of a stomach but Green couldn’t ever deny him food or anything because Red _freaking needed it_ more than anyone else. Sure, it was the great irony of the world that the most revered and feared trainer had to accept charity from his rival but Green didn’t _really_ complain about it—at least Red went to him and not someone else.

“Uh, we don’t have food.” Bonita answered quietly when he saw that his boss was going through some internal struggle. Then he saw how red-eyes widened at him and he suddenly felt a twinge of fear dance up his spine and he quickly explained, “W-we don’t have enough funds!”

“What?” Green snapped, bringing his head up to glare at Bonita. “What do you mean we don’t have funds for food?”

Bonita turned to look at Green, slightly relieved to face someone closer to being human and normal (Green would pulverize him with his rhyperior if he ever heard Bonita’s thoughts), “The past few weeks, we uh…cut off the food to make up for the electric bill. I-I know I didn’t include it in the report but we didn’t want you to worry! The pokémon still get their proper food, though! It’s just uh, us trainers.”

“Idiots!” Green shook his head and slammed a hand down on his desk. “Don’t ever do that again!”

“I-I’m sorry, sir...! I never meant to falsify the reports!” Bonita apologized, nearly on the brink of tears because he could swear Green’s eyes were flaring with fire. He was expecting the gym leader to throw a rock at him when he took something from the drawer but when it hit the ace trainer, it was surprisingly light. When he caught it in his hands, he saw that it was a few bills of pokédollars. “Uh, sir?”

“Why am I surrounded by idiots?” Green exclaimed to no one in particular then redirected his attention back to Bonita and Red, “Get the others and get some food! I will not have any of you dying in the middle of a battle on me!”

Touched, a tear slid down Bonita’s cheek but he didn’t dare to waste this opportunity and ran out of the room to call everyone else that they were finally going to have a proper meal.

Green turned his chair to face the wall opposite of the door, letting his temper cool. Now, they were several bills under budget but he’d rather face overdue bills than hospital bills and crying pokémon. He still couldn’t believe how stupid they were, it only reminded him of Red who made Mt. Silver his home on a whim and hadn’t even bothered to bring _anything_.

He never imagined himself to be a caretaker but here he was, taking care of Red by bringing him supplies every week and taking care of his trainers making sure they wouldn’t end up in a ditch somewhere. He wouldn’t change anything though but he’d really appreciate more funds coming into the gym.

“Green?” Red’s soft voice called, only annoying the other further.

“I told you to go and eat, Red.” He answered back with some bite.

“…It’s all right.” The champion said after a brief pause, “I’m sorry for causing you trouble.”

Green turned his chair to face Red and he grunted, “It’s a decade too late for that, loser.”

He watched as his rival tugged his cap down and fidgeted before muttering, “Sorry, I’ll go now.”

“Uh-uh. Unless it’s to go join Bonita and the others, you are not leaving from my sight. I’m not letting you go back to that mountain anytime soon, either.” Then he stood up, crossing towards Red and placing his arm around the shorter male’s shoulders. “I need your help.”

“You do?” Red looked up at the other questioningly.

“Yep and you didn’t even say hello to me, yet.”

“Oh.” Red flushed and was pecked on the lips by the other, “Uh, h-hello.”

“Too late for that, too.”

“What?”

“Being all the blushing virgin. You’re _years_ late for—ow!” Green winced, feeling the stinging pain of Red’s fist colliding with his gut. “I am feeding you, jerk!”

“ _Jerk_.” Red pouted, ears flushed as he stomped out the office.

“At-at least I got a kiss.” The gym leader muttered to himself pitifully before crawling back to his desk to work on his laptop.

* * *

By the time Bonita came back with the rest of the trainers from their delayed lunch with Red in their company, they found a long line waiting outside the gym. There were trainers of all kind lining up, from the ace trainers down to the lasses; it was like Jirachi came and granted them their wishes.

“What-what’s going on?” Elan asked, not believing his eyes.

Just then, Green exited the gym with a wide grin as majority of the females and a few males in the crowd began to cheer for him. He waved at them candidly as he approached his trainers and when he was finally with them, he grin only widened.

“Well, I hope you guys haven’t lost your touch because we’ve got a lot of challengers today!”

“Boss, did Jirachi come here?!” Salma asked, wide eyed. “There’s no way—how could this—it’s just!”

Their boss chuckled at her but shook his head, “It’s far simpler than that—I just took a page from your book.”

“M-mine?”

“Instead of using Her Royal Highness Queen Slowly as our mascot, we’re using Red.”

“What.” The champion glared flamethrowers at the gym leader.

“Well, get going, guys. We need to pay the bills so don’t lose!” Without another word, the ace trainers rushed back inside the gym to cater to the challengers.

“Green.” Red hissed at his rival, “What—”

“Don’t worry about it.” The other said and leaned closer to whisper on his ear, “The rule was that if anyone won two battles, they could shake your hand; and if anyone actually beats all of my trainers, they get to take your picture and if they manage to beat me—like hell they would—they get to challenge you immediately without getting lost in Mt. Silver.”

“You should’ve asked me first.”

“You left, remember?” Green frowned, suddenly looking guilty. “Look, I’m sorry. I’ll just call it off, I’ll try to find another way to earn money—probably sell off Eevee’s toys and sell my apartment.”

Just as the brunette turned to face the people, Red quickly grabbed onto the sleeve of his jacket and pulled. Green turned to look at the other and waited until he spoke, “I-it’s okay. You don’t have to…I-I’ll help you out.”

A soft look replaced the guilt on Green’s face as he pulled the other into a sudden embrace. Then he placed a gentle hand over Red’s cheek, making the shorter male look up at him, their eyes meeting as he spoke, “Thank you, Red. It really means a lot to me that you’re here.”

Red was too caught up at how Green’s gaze seemed to pierce through his very soul and being that he didn’t notice the loud squeals of excitement from the crowd.

And Bonita was at the door ushering the crowd in slowly when he noticed the new sign that hung on the gym’s door:

_Wallet Size – 5P_

_Framed – 10P_

_Poster Size – 15P_

_Digital – 5P_

_All – 30P (5P discount!)  
_

“What the…” The ace trainer trailed off as he saw the famous photographer, Snap taking pictures of Green and Red. Before his palm could meet his forehead, a group of five girls gathered around him, squealing and going hysterical.

“W-we want ten copies of everything!” One of the girls managed to say before going into a seizure like state.

Bonita’s eyes widened at the absurdity before a wide grin and pokédollar signs made it to his face, “Yes, you may get it after our photographer has developed the pictures! In the meantime, why don’t you challenge some of our trainers to pass the time? If you win a certain number of battles, you get to hold hands with Red, you can even take a picture with him!”

An eruption of loud squeals and Bonita could practically _see_ the money coming.


End file.
